CDLI Literary 000482 (Lipit-Ishtar B) composite (P478812)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | CDLI Literary 000482 (Lipit-Ishtar B) composite |
|---|---|
| ID | P478812 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Nippur (mod. Nuffar) |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
English translation
By Vanstiphout, Herman L. J. · Via Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI (reuse with citation)
| Line | English |
|---|---|
| surface a 1 | Lipit-Ištar, proud king, enthroned prince, |
| surface a 2 | most fit offshoot of kingship, |
| surface a 3 | who stands like Utu, brilliant light of the land, |
| surface a 4 | lofty in nobility, riding the great ordinances, |
| surface a 5 | who settles the people in the four quarters, |
| surface a 6 | favored by Enlil, beloved by Inanna, |
| surface a 7 | true youth with shining eyes, worthy of the throne |
| surface a 8 | (whose) head is adorned with the tiara, the true crown, |
| surface a 9 | (who is) perfectly equipped with the sceptre over the blackheads, |
| surface a 10 | prince Lipit-Ištar, son of Enlil, wise shepherd, |
| surface a 11 | who leads the people, letting the people people relax in sweet shade? |
| surface a 12 | Lord, great bison, beloved by An, |
| surface a 13 | your trust is (put in) the mother of Ninlil. |
| surface a 14 | Lipit-Ištar, you are granted princely power; |
| surface a 15 | (your) name, a sound as sweet as honey, is perfect for speaking; |
| surface a 16 | longed-for husband of Inanna, |
| surface a 17 | whom Enki gave broad wisdom as a gift. |
| surface a 18 | Nisaba, the woman radiant with joy, |
| surface a 19 | the true woman scribe, the lady of all knowledge, |
| surface a 20 | guided your fingers on the clay, |
| surface a 21 | embellished the writing on the tablets, |
| surface a 22 | made the hand resplendent with a golden stylus. |
| surface a 23 | the 1-ninda rod, the gleaming surveyor’s line, |
| surface a 24 | the cubit ruler which gives wisdom, Nisaba lavishly bestowed upon you. |
| surface a 25 | Lipit-Ištar, you are Enlil's son; |
| surface a 26 | truth and justice you make manifest; |
| surface a 27 | lord, your goodness covers even the horizon. |
| surface a 28 | King Lipit-Ištar, counsellor of great judgment, |
| surface a 29 | (whose) word never falters, wise one (whose) decision provides justice for the people; |
| surface a 30 | great mind, knowing all things deeply, |
| surface a 31 | in order to lay down the law for all foreign countries, |
| surface a 32 | you perceive falsehood and truth even from the words hidden in the heart. |
| surface a 33 | Lipit-Ištar, you rage against the enemies, |
| surface a 34 | from evil and oppression you know how to save people, |
| surface a 35 | from sin and destruction you know how to free them. |
| surface a 36 | The mighty do not perpetrate robbery, |
| surface a 37 | and the strong do not make the weaker ones into hirelings— |
| surface a 38 | thus you established justice in Sumer and Akkad, |
| surface a 39 | and made pleasant (the life of) everybody in the land. |
| surface a 40 | Lipit-Ištar, king of Isin, king of Sumer and Akkad, |
| surface a 41 | to Nippur you are the scribe; |
| surface a 42 | to the Ekur, Enlil’s house; Lipit-Ištar, you are its provider; |
| surface a 43 | for Enlil and Ninlil you are the love of their hearts; |
| surface a 44 | the hero Ninurta is your powerful guard, |
| surface a 45 | and vizier Nusku enforces your decisions. |
| surface a 46 | You are the Išib-priest for Keš, whom Nintu truly chose. |
| surface a 47 | Installed in Ur, you are the youth who has the attention of Suen. |
| surface a 48 | You are the one whom Enki gave the true tiara in Eridu. |
| surface a 49 | For holy Inanna in the region of Uruk, you, Lipit-Ištar, are her heart’s delight. |
| surface a 50 | Ninisina in Isin made you sit on your lofty dais. |
| surface a 51 | With a hearty song of joy, in a prosperous regnal year, |
| surface a 52 | the prince, the valiant prince surpassing in greatness and nobility, |
| surface a 53 | your father Išme-Dagan, king of the land, |
| surface a 54 | stabilized the foundation of your throne, |
| surface a 55 | and upon the order spoken by An and Enlil |
| surface a 56 | he silenced the loud strife of the foreign countries. |
| surface a 57 | You, Lipit-Ištar, Enlil’s son, |
| surface a 58 | have put your righteousness on everybody’s lips; |
| surface a 59 | your praise shall never disappear from the clay in the Edubba; |
| surface a 60 | may every scribe therefore sing of this bliss and glorify (you) greatly, |
| surface a 61 | so that your laudation in the Edubba shall not cease. |
| surface a 62 | O leading shepherd, youthful son of Enlil, |
| surface a 63 | Lipit-Ištar, be praised! |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| surface a | ||
| 1 | {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar lugal sag il2 nun bara2-ga | |
| 2 | he2-du7 {gesz}isimu2{sar} nam-lugal-la | |
| 3 | {d}utu-gin7 gub sze-er-zi kalam-ma | |
| 4 | nam-nun-sze3 mah me gal-la u5 | |
| 5 | ub-da limmu2 ug3 ki gar-ra | |
| 6 | sze-ga {d}en-lil2-la2 {d}nin-lil2-le ki-ag2 | |
| 7 | szul zi igi gun3 bara2-ga tum2-ma | |
| 8 | men aga zi sag me-te-gal2 | |
| 9 | sibir szu du8 sag-ge6-ga | |
| 10 | nun {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar dumu {d}en-lil2-la2 sipa igi-gal2 tuku | |
| 11 | ug3 lah5-lah5-e gissu du10-ga ug3-e ni2 dub2-bu | |
| 12 | en alim mah an-ne2 ki-ag2 | |
| 13 | geszkim-ti-zu-um ama {d}nin-lil2-la2 | |
| 14 | {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar a2 nun hu-mu-te-gal2 | |
| 15 | ka lal3-gin7 du10 mu ka-ge du7 | |
| 16 | sza3-ge de6-a dam {d}inanna | |
| 17 | {d}en-ki-ke4 gesztu2 dagal sag-e-esz rig7-ga | |
| 18 | {d}nisaba munus ul-la gun3-a | |
| 19 | munus zi dub-sar nin nig2-nam zu | |
| 20 | si-zu im-ma si ba-ni-in-sa2 | |
| 21 | sza3 dub-ba-ka gu-szum2 mi-ni-in-sa6-sa6 | |
| 22 | gi-dub-ba ku3-sig17-ka szu mu-ni-in-gun3 | |
| 23 | gi 1(disz) ninda esz2-GAN2 za-gin3 | |
| 24 | {gesz}as4-lum le-um igi-gal2 szum2-mu {d}nisaba-ke4 szu dagal ma-ra-an-du11 | |
| 25 | {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar dumu {d}en-lil2-la2-me-en | |
| 26 | nig2-zi nig2-gi-na pa bi2-e-e3 | |
| 27 | en sa6-zu an-za3-sze3 na-dul? | |
| 28 | {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar lugal umusz gal-gal-la ad gi4-gi4 | |
| 29 | inim-ma nu-kusz2-u3 gal zu ka-asz bar ug3-e si sa2 | |
| 30 | gesztu2 dagal nig2-nam gal-le-esz zu | |
| 31 | di kur-kur-ra-ke4 si sa2-sa2-e-de3 | |
| 32 | inim sza3-ga gal2-la lul zi-bi mu-e-zu | |
| 33 | {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar lu2 erim2-ra guru5-usz mu-e-ta-ab-e3-de3-en | |
| 34 | ka nir-da-ka giri3 saga11 du11 lu2 zi-zi-i mu-e-zu | |
| 35 | nam-tag dugud ka garasz2-kam lu2 ti-le mu-ni-in-zu | |
| 36 | a2-tuku sa-gaz nu-mu-un-szi-ak-e | |
| 37 | kal-ga si-ga szaga-sze3 nu-mu-un-ak-e | |
| 38 | nig2-si-sa2 ki-en-gi ki-uri-a mu-ni-gar | |
| 39 | su kalam-ma mu-du10 | |
| 40 | {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar lugal i3-si-in{ki}-na lugal ki-en-gi ki-uri-me-en | |
| 41 | nibru{ki}-sze3 dub sar-re-me-en | |
| 42 | e2-kur-re e2 {d}en-lil2-la2-sze3 {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar sag-us2-bi za-e-me-en | |
| 43 | {d}en-lil2 {d}nin-lil2-ra ki-ag2 sza3-ba-me-en | |
| 44 | ur-sag {d}nin-urta maszkim kal-ga-zu-um | |
| 45 | {d}nusku sukkal mah a2-tah inim-ma-zu-um | |
| 46 | iszib kesz3{ki}-sze3 {d}nin-tu-re zi-de3-esz pa3-da-me-en | |
| 47 | uri2{ki}-sze3 gal2-la szul gesz tuku {d}suen-na-me-en | |
| 48 | {d}en-ki-ke4 eridu{ki}i-ta aga zi szum2-ma-me-en | |
| 49 | ki unu{ki}-ga ku3 {d}inanna-ra {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar hi-li sza3-ga-na-me-en | |
| 50 | {d}nin-i3-si-in-na-ke4 i3-si-in{ki}-na bara2 mah-zu mi-ni-in-ri | |
| 51 | i-lu sza3-ga mu bala sa6-ga | |
| 52 | nun-e nun uru16 dirig gal mah-bi | |
| 53 | ad-da-zu {d}isz-me-{d}da-gan lugal kalam-ma-ke4 | |
| 54 | {gesz}gu-za-na suhusz-bi mu-ra-an-ge-en | |
| 55 | inim du11-ga an {d}en-lil2-la2-ta | |
| 56 | di nim kur-kur-ra si-a mu-ni-in-gar | |
| 57 | {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar dumu {d}en-lil2-la2-me-en | |
| 58 | nig2-gi-na-zu ka-ka mi-ni-in-gal2 | |
| 59 | za3-mi2-zu e2-dub-ba-a-ka im mu-e-ni-du11-du11 | |
| 60 | dub-sar-re a-le he2-em-szi-ak-e gal-le-esz he2-i-i | |
| 61 | ar2-zu e2-dub-ba-a-ka musz3 nam-ba-an-tum2-mu | |
| 62 | sipa gu2-tuku szul dumu {d}en-lil2-la2 | |
| 63 | {d}li-pi2-it-esz18-dar za3-mi2 | |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-11.